This invention relates to control of a printing process, typically including office and business type printers, commonly accessed by a variety of users. Recently, attempts have been made to improve the management of such printers through external controls. For example, many printers have been designed to receive a removable mechanical counter, which can be used to enable printing and which can be incremented every time a printing operation for one paper is completed. In this way, only authorized users who possess the mechanical counter can use the printer. Counting the number of printing operations facilitates billing for printer consumables.
In some printers, the mechanical counter is replaced with a removable data card. Typically, data cards include an encodable medium. The encodable medium, traditionally a magnetic strip, carries encoded information that is compatible with some form of indicia, either on the data card or stored in the memory of the printer, to allow access.
Another type of card, known as a xe2x80x9csmart card,xe2x80x9d is a thin, credit card-sized piece of plastic that can contain an area consisting of gold contacts, which serve as the input/output system for the smart card. Internally, the card can contain a microprocessor, a combination of both RAM and ROM storage, and a type of operating system. Typically, there are algorithms dedicated to functions stored in the card""s nonvolatile memory. Many cards contain an additional numeric co-processor, which is dedicated to cryptographic functions. The smart card can be used to store and transport data to increase convenience to the holder, and reduce errors and cost of handling information.
Unfortunately, to provide a mechanical counter, a data card, or a smart card to the number of users that typically require the use of printers in a business environment can be costly. Moreover, mechanical counters and magnetic strips have limited durability. For example, mechanical counters and magnetic data cards can easily be misplaced or broken either by impact (e.g. being dropped) or by being subject to a magnetic field.
For these reasons, what is needed is a low cost, reliable device, which provides secure access to print data.
The present invention provides a system and method of controlling a printing operation using information printed on paper or similar material. The present invention allows the user to input information data via an input processor, such as a computer, and have the information data converted to a descriptive indicia, which can be printed on a data card. The data card can be used with a peripheral device, such as a printer to allow access to a data, such as a print job.
In one aspect of the present invention, an information processing method is provided. The method includes receiving a data card including printed indicia descriptive of user information and data information; reading the indicia to use the user and data information to verify access credentials; and providing access to data in response to the verification.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for processing information. The system includes a processor capable of executing process steps. The processor reads indicia descriptive of user information and data information; verifies access credentials based on the indicia; and provides access to data in response to the verification.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for processing information. The system includes a computer operably coupled to an external peripheral device to form a network. The network is operable to receive a data card including indicia descriptive of user information and data information; read the indicia to use the user and data information to verify access credentials; and provide access to data on the basis of the verification.
These and other features of the invention will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following description and figures.